Like him
The early summer evening breeze blew away the sweat on her body. The girl skipped and walked in front, chirping like a little sparrow.
"Ahh! I've fallen in love with live houses! It's so much better than going to concerts!"
"Teacher Zuo's performance was truly outstanding! It felt completely different from the recorded version!"
"Hey, that bassist is so handsome! He has a tattoo on his right middle finger. It looks like a little dove. Did you see it? I want one too!"
"This girl is so talkative..." Chen Liqing turned around and asked, "How do you usually tolerate it?"
Zuo Xiao chuckled: "You'll get used to it."
"No wonder your temper has improved a lot recently. It turns out that it's all because of your constant chatter."
"Xiaoxiao, please send me Eric's WeChat!" The chatterbox stopped and took out his phone. "It's such a shame he didn't come today! I recorded two songs and I want to send them to him."
"No need." Zuo Xiao smiled, "He will be in Shanghai for two weeks, just in time to watch the Shanghai show."
"Ah! Then I want to go to the Shanghai show too! How about we go to Shanghai together?"
She really does whatever she wants... Chen Liqing thought.
"Shall we go for a couple of drinks?" Zhuang Jinghao grabbed Zuo Xiao's hand and shook it vigorously. "I'm super excited right now. I won't be able to sleep when I get home!"
"Taking advantage of your brother's absence, are you letting yourself go again?" Zuo Xiao asked, searchingly, "Did you tell your brother before you went out drinking? What if he checks on you? Did you take your dog for a walk?"
Zhuang Jinghao immediately lost his temper, his head drooping. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he said with shining eyes:
"Why don't you just go to my house and drink?!"
The two followed Zhuang Jinghao into the house. The puppy suddenly jumped up and barked twice, scaring Chen Liqing so much that he took a few steps back.
"Haha, his name is Peter Pan, and he doesn't bite!" Zhuang Jinghao said as he got them slippers. "You guys sit on the sofa for a while. The wine I ordered will be here soon. I'll go get you some drinks first..."
As he was speaking, the cell phone rang.
Zuo Xiao turned and made a "hush" gesture to Chen Liqing. Then, the two stood at the door, watching Zhuang Jinghao respond to her brother's video check-ups—yes, ever since she ran away from home, the voice checks from her brother had been upgraded to video checks.
"I've finished looking. I'm home! I just arrived!" She turned on the rear camera and walked slowly inside. "Rest for a while, then I'll take Peter Pan for a walk... Peter Pan, come here and tell your brother you're safe! You're so good... Okay, okay, I got it..."
"Is she like this every day?" Chen Liqing whispered in Zuo Xiao's ear.
Soon, Zhuang Jinghao finished checking on everyone and brought a few bottles of iced drinks and placed them on the coffee table.
Chen Liqing took a look and said expressionlessly, "I don't drink carbonated drinks. Is there anything else?"
"Yes, yes. What would you like to drink?"
"...Mineral water, please."
After a while, Zhuang Jinghao brought him a glass bottle of mineral water. Chen Liqing was really thirsty at this moment. He unscrewed the lid and poured it into his mouth, but heard:
"Carbonated drinks kill sperm, so you don't drink them much, right?"
"Puff..." Chen Liqing couldn't hold it in and spat out a mouthful of water, patting his chest and coughing violently. Zhuang Jinghao frantically handed him a tissue, while Zuo Xiao was shaking with laughter beside him.
"Your brother usually takes care of his health like this?" Zuo Xiao stopped laughing and teased.
"Yeah!" Zhuang Jinghao introduced seriously, "He has loved drinking carbonated drinks since he was a child, but since he learned in middle school that it kills sperm, he rarely drinks it, only occasionally."
Then why are you giving me the drink? Chen Liqing glared at her.
"I'm going to walk the dog! I'd better finish it early so I can have a drink later. Hehe..." Zhuang Jinghao said, "You two can rest here for a while, or come with me?"
"Let's go together!" Zuo Xiao said as he stood up, and Chen Liqing also stood up reluctantly.
He'd been exhausted all day. Starting a business requires a lot of hands-on work. He'd attended several meetings during the day, taken a trip to Tianjin, and rushed home to take two girls to a show that night. He also had to act as a human shield, protecting this and that. He was exhausted! If he could help it, he wouldn't move, but staying alone in someone else's house wasn't the right thing to do either...
Unexpectedly, Zuo Xiao suddenly felt guilty and said, "It's none of your business. Chen Liqing, you just stay here." Zhuang Jinghao was stunned for a moment, then followed suit and said, "Yes, the two of us can just go for a walk. You can just rest at home for a while."
After they left, Chen Liqing walked around the first floor.
While watching the show earlier, the three of them had each had a cocktail, and were now slightly tipsy. His mind was full of random thoughts, sometimes calculating how much the villa would cost, sometimes wondering when he could buy one and take Zuo Xiao over. In between, he couldn't help but scoff at Zhuang Yu'an: "What the hell is this kid doing? He actually built a villa in Beijing, and his company is about to go public..."
After Zhuang Yu'an's meeting with Zuo Xiao in the coffee shop, he had someone investigate him. Surprisingly, this guy had no scandals: he graduated from one of the top two universities in China, started his own business after graduation, and hadn't been found guilty of fraud or tax evasion. His personal life was completely blank. Either he was as clean as he was, or he was lacking in some area... Yeah, judging by his gloomy demeanor and his history of drinking carbonated drinks, it was probably that area that was his problem!
However, I did find out a little about Zhuang Yu'an's family. Thinking of this, I couldn't help but sigh: It hasn't been easy for these two siblings to come this far...
Chen Liqing lay down on the sofa, his eyelids becoming heavier and heavier.
He was woken by the ice. Zuo Xiao brought him a glass of whiskey on the rocks and pressed the bottom of the glass against his face, effectively waking him up. He opened his eyes to see two beautiful faces snickering at him, then bursting into laughter.
I woke up again the next day.
He heard the birds singing, opened his eyes, and the bright sunlight hit his retina... Is it already so bright?
He felt a little dizzy, and then realized it was a hangover. He had drunk a lot of alcohol last night and stayed at someone else's house.
My body feels a bit hot, especially from my left chest to my waist and abdomen, which is hotter than other places...
etc.
He tilted his head to look, and suddenly his whole body was frozen.
"ah!!!"
A short and dull scream pierced the ice, and he thawed, rolled and crawled out of the bed, looking at the person on the bed with a pale face.
She was wearing a suspender nightgown, curled up like a kitten, her red hair hanging out, spilling out like blood on the dark blue sheets.
Chen Liqing's eyes widened, and he suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself in the face.
It hurts! It hurts so much...
So it's not a dream now?
The person on the bed moaned and slowly opened his eyes.
A moment later, a sharper and longer-lasting scream exploded in the room:
“Ahhhhhhhhh…”
The sun was high in the sky. Chen Liqing and Zhuang Jinghao sat opposite each other at the long dining table. Zuo Xiao sat at the head of the table, presiding over the proceedings. Facing the window, she watched the swaying shadows of the trees, a vibrant scene. The people on either side, however, lowered their heads, timid and withdrawn.
His dignified gaze first turned to Chen Liqing: "You said she climbed into your bed in the middle of the night?"
"Yes!" Chen Liqing clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, "I chased her away, but I don't know when she came back again."
"Hiss..." Zuo Xiao felt a dilemma. She couldn't take sides, as both sides were equally vulnerable.
Turning to look at Zhuang Jinghao: "Do you remember what he said?"
"A little..." Her face flushed. "I drank too much and had something to ask him... I remember he was very fierce and tried to drive me away, so I left..."
"I told you!" Chen Liqing, as if he had been vindicated, excitedly pointed across the street and leaned towards Zuo Xiao, "She ran here on her own! In the middle of the night..."
"Shut up! I didn't ask you." Zuo Xiao interrupted him rudely, then turned to ask Zhuang Jinghao, "And then?"
"Then... I drank a little more, and I don't remember anything that happened afterwards..."
"Don't remember?" How could I not remember, sister?!
"Think about it again?" No matter how small your brain capacity is, you can always squeeze it in, right?
"I can't remember... really..."
"Then can you remember?" Zuo Xiao turned to Chen Liqing, "When did she come into your room again? What did you do?"
"What else can I do!" Chen Liqing pounded the table anxiously. "I didn't even know when she came in! I was sleeping like a dead person, how could I do anything?"
"Then... what about you guys reminiscing?" Zuo Xiao felt a headache and stood up. "You guys think about it first. I'll go get some bottles of water."
She brought three bottles of oolong tea to help with the hangover.
"Well, did you remember anything?"
The woman shook her head, her face wrinkled like a bitter gourd.
Okay, let me ask the man again: "What about you?"
Chen Liqing took a big gulp of iced tea. "I'm 100% sure. I never left the room after I lay down! She was the one who climbed into my bed! And I'm 100% sure that nothing happened between us! Nothing!"
Zuo Xiao squinted at him, and after a moment said, "Then swear."
"You don't believe me?" Chen Liqing's eyes widened, his expression furious. "Am I that kind of person? Huh? Zuo Xiao, you've known me for how many years, and you look at me like that?"
"Oh, no..." Zuo Xiao tried to appease him, "I'm just trying to prove your innocence. What's wrong with you swearing an oath? It's not like you're losing a piece of meat."
Besides, who told you not to lock the door when you sleep at night? You've caused trouble like this, and I have to clean up the mess for you...
Chen Liqing raised three fingers: "I swear."
Well, isn't that enough? Zuo Xiao felt a little relieved and turned to look at Zhuang Jinghao: "Jinghao, think about it too. Last night... nothing happened, right?"
Zhuang Jinghao bit her lower lip and shook her head. Zuo Xiao thought for a moment, then stood up and walked over to her, whispering in her ear, "Little sister, do you feel anything special? Like swelling, pain, or anything like that?"
Zhuang Jinghao's face suddenly turned red as if blood was about to drip out. She bit her lips and shook her head desperately.
Zuo Xiao felt relieved and returned to the referee's seat: "Okay, both sides have concluded their statements, so the matter is now clear."
The two of them looked at her at the same time, nervously waiting for the final verdict.
Zuo Xiao cleared his throat and concluded, "What happened last night was that Zhuang Jing drank too much and accidentally went to the guest room to sleep. She happened to end up in the same bed with Chen Liqing. They were both fine, nothing happened."
Case closed!
After the work was done, Zuo Xiao let Chen Liqing go first. She stayed behind to continue the finishing work, commonly known as "wiping the butt".
She ordered takeout and chatted with Zhuang Jinghao while eating.
"What happened to you last night? Why did you want to go find Chen Liqing for no reason?"
"I..." Zhuang Jinghao was about to say something, holding up her chopsticks without touching a single bite of the food.
Zuo Xiao couldn't bear to see this, so he picked up a piece of boiled pork for her and said, "Eat quickly, and talk while you eat. Confess and you'll get leniency!"
"Okay, I'll tell you..." she stammered, "Didn't I ask you if you liked Chen Liqing then? You thought I was annoying and drove me away... so I... went to ask him..."
Huh? Zuo Xiao thought she must be drunk and crazy: "You went to ask someone in bed in the middle of the night?"
"I was really curious, and I was drunk..." Zhuang Jinghao defended, "Otherwise I wouldn't have gone..."
"And then? How did you ask? How did he answer?"
"I asked, 'Chen Liqing, are you secretly in love with our Zuo Xiao?' He started scolding me, and it was really nasty... Then he told me to get out, and I did..."
"Pfft..." Zuo Xiao couldn't hold back his laughter and teased her heartlessly, "You're so amazing! You ate the melon and ended up in the mistress's bed!"
After thinking for a moment, he questioned again: "Didn't you say you were drunk? How come you remember it so clearly? Tell me, are you pretending to be drunk?"
"No!" Zhuang Jinghao hurriedly defended, "I was drunk, but I still remembered what happened, so of course I remember it! Then I went out and drank again, and I really don't remember anything after that..."
Zuo Xiao stared at her intently, which made her feel uneasy. She quickly lowered her head, picked up the piece of meat and stuffed it into her mouth, but it was already cold.
"Alright, it's no big deal anyway." Zuo Xiao said, "You just slept in the same bed, nothing happened, so let it be."
Just like that? Zhuang Jing was confused: Just like that? This was her first time sleeping with a man outside of her...
Seeing her confused look, Zuo Xiao teased, "Why, do you still want to be responsible for Chen Liqing?"
Zhuang Jinghao remained silent, her face flushing. The more Zuo Xiao looked at her, the more he felt something was wrong. He took her hand and pulled her to sit on the sofa.
"Do you really want to be responsible for him?" Zuo Xiao rubbed her shoulders. "Do you like him?"
Zhuang Jinghao's face suddenly turned horrified, and she tried to defend herself: "No! Of course not!" But her shy eyes betrayed her.
Zuo Xiao was secretly surprised: Wow! These two have only met a few times, and they're already in love? Is Chen Liqing really that charming?
Continue to guide: "What are you thinking? Tell me, I can give you some advice. I don't have much else, but I do have a lot of experience in love. I won't charge you any money, it's a free consultant, don't miss it."
Zhuang Jinghao grabbed the hem of his clothes with both hands, pulling and tugging, and after a while he spoke: "I don't know..."
"I don't know if I like him or not? Or I don't know what to do?"
“I don’t know…”
Zuo Xiao thought for a moment and then asked, "Then let me ask you, do you like being with Chen Liqing?"
Zhuang Jinghao hesitated for a moment and nodded.
"So how do you feel about being with him?"
"...I'm happy. But I'm also happy to be with you. And Jiaxin and Eric, I'm happy too..."
"Don't bring me up. It has nothing to do with me, or anyone else. You just need to focus on how you feel about him. Next question: Do you miss him when you can't see him?"
"It seems... not. We've only just met for a short time!"
"No? Then why did you go to her bed? You just met her not long ago and you want to sleep with her?"
"No! I've told you so many times, I'm drunk! What are you doing…"
Seeing her pouting, she looked 70% aggrieved and 30% angry. Zuo Xiao thought that even a rabbit would bite when it was angry. If he continued to question her like this, he might make the little rabbit cry. He straightened his attitude and said:
"Last question: Do you think Chen Liqing is handsome?"
My goodness, looking at her blushing and shy look, I know the answer without saying anything.
Zuo Xiao sighed: "What a bad fate..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
